Low Sugar, HOMEMADE granola!

Homemade (low sugar) Granola

Next week I’m headed out of town for a few days. I’m taking a red-eye back to the East Coast. My Godfather’s son is getting married, and to me they’ve always been just like cousins. It will be a good time to see everyone including my family. Since both flights are at weird hours I thought it’d be best to pack a snack. I wanted something that wouldn’t melt, wasn’t terribly messy, and didn’t have an odor.

Nick and I have been talking about making granola so I thought this was the perfect time to try making a batch. I searched high and low on the Internet of recipes. Some had things like peanut butter, agave, sugar, cereal, coconut, dried fruit, and other liquid components. I wanted to make something that was on the “ healthier” & “lighter” side. I stumbled across two recipes that had ingredients that I liked and I combined them.

Low Sugar Granola

Bake: 325/350 for 55 minutes total

1^st (350)time: 15 minutes

2^nd(350) time: 20 minutes

3^rd (325)time:20 minutes 
*if your oats are too brown, pull them out of the oven (they will burn!)!

·                     10 cups Old Fashioned Oats (I used 42 ounces of Old Fashioned Oats!) Substitution: If you can’t find old fashion you could use quick oats; they’re finer to cook faster. During baking check to ensure the oats are not burning

·                    ¼ cup ground flaxseed (I use golden most the time)

·                    ¼ cup wheat germ (this is found on the cereal aisle near the oatmeal; hot cereal)

·                    2 tablespoons cinnamon

·                    1 tablespoon ground ginger

·                    ½ teaspoon nutmeg

·                    ¾ cup vegetable oil

·                    4-41/2 cups of nuts any combination will work. (I decided to use what was lingering in the closet… almonds and pecans)

Here is what I used to make 4 ½ cups of nuts/seeds--

§  ¼ cup silvered almonds

§  ¼ cup pecan halves

§  2 cups raw pepitas

§  2 cups raw sunflower seeds

·                    2-3 cups dried fruit any combination will work.

Here is what I used to make 2 cups of dried fruit--

§  1 cup dried cranberries

§  1 cup mixed dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, and mangoes)

·                   3/4-1 cup honey (you want your mixture to be glistening)

** Optional:  ½-1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest

Step one: combine oats, splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger in a large pot. Stir all dry goods together.

 Remember: you *MUST* grind your flax seed!

Step two: line 2-3 baking sheets with tin foil

Step three: mix oil, wheat germ, and flax seed into the oat and spice mixture.

Step four: spread mixture onto lined baking sheets.

Step five: bake for 15 minutes

Step six:::: flip oats with spatula, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Step seven: heat honey in Pyrex measuring cup for approximately 40 seconds in the microwave (until honey is thin). Once honey is removed from microwave zest ½-1 teaspoons of fresh orange zest into honey.

Step eight: once oat mixture is out of the oven, gently pour mixture back into large pot. (Be kind to the tin foil, you will re-use it) Remember to turn off your oven!

Step nine: mix in dried fruit to mixture, and stir.

Step ten: mix nuts and seeds into mixture, and stir.

Step eleven: slowly stir honey into mixture.

Step twelve: spread mixture back onto tin foil covered baking dishes.

Step thirteen: place-baking sheets into the oven, let sit in oven over night.

(Recipe adapted MotherNatureTalks.Com)

Additional Information: I typically now use dried blueberries, dried cranberries, and golden raisins. For nuts I use raw silvered almonds, raw sliced almonds, raw sunflower seeds, raw pepitas, and a little bit of raw pecans. When I am about to get chia seeds I also add those to the mixture.

Enjoy!